It is known to pull a pipe through a borehole drilled in the earth beneath an obstacle from a first side to a second side of the obstacle. This process can be used to run the pipe underneath the obstacle, such as a river, a roadway, or the like, from one side to the other.
In the conventional process, a pull head is attached to the pipe at the first side. The pipe is then pulled underground through the borehole from the first side to the second side. At the second side, the pull head is removed from the pipe, a section of pipe is then cut from the pipe end, and a pipe adaptor is then fused to the end of the pipe. The end of a new section of pipe is then joined to the pipe adaptor to continue the pipeline.
The fusing or welding of the pipe adaptor to the end of the pipe at the second side typically occurs within a trench or bell hole that is dug at the second side. The trench accommodates the fusing or welding equipment, the pipe cutting equipment, the pipe pulling equipment and other equipment, as well as personnel operating the equipment. The trench or bell hole is typically deep, for example 6 to 8 feet deep. Therefore, the sides of the trench or bell hole need to be reinforced to prevent collapse of the trench onto personnel working in the trench. In addition, the trench can be muddy which increases the danger to personnel working in the trench. Therefore, the process of fusing or welding the pipe adaptor to the end of the pipe at the second side within the trench can be a lengthy process and it can be dangerous to personnel.